Cyclosporiasis cases in US climb to 17,180, CDC says

Aug 25 (Reuters) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday reported 17,180 confirmed ‌cases of cyclosporiasis in the United States, ‌an increase of 1,464 cases from a week ago.

• The CDC said it has received reports of 17,180 confirmed cases across 48 states plus the District of Columbia, with 922 hospitalizations and two deaths ‌as of August 24. ⁠At least 11,844 additional cases may require further investigation and analysis, CDC said.

• ⁠The data include the cases reported in the ongoing multistate outbreak linked to recalled iceberg lettuce, CDC ​said, adding ​that it is investigating ​multiple clusters of cyclosporiasis.

• ‌CDC and FDA are investigating at least six other clusters for which sources have not yet been confirmed, CDC said.

• Michigan, the hardest-hit state, logged a slow 3% rise to 14,277 last week, hinting ‌the outbreak may be easing.

• ​The cyclosporiasis outbreak is one ​of the largest foodborne ​illness events in recent U.S. history. ‌The illness is caused by ​the cyclospora ​parasite, which can lead to diarrhea, nausea and other gastrointestinal symptoms.

• The outbreak has shaken U.S. ​consumers nationwide, causing ‌many to forgo eating fresh produce or ​dining in restaurants.

(Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; ​Editing by Vijay Kishore)